Le Wast Weekend 2026

Chasing Four Seasons in Three Days: Our Spring Escape to Le Wast, France

This year we headed back to Le Wast, France for another brilliant few days—just a touch earlier than usual. We tried to dodge the UK Easter and bank-holiday rush (and the French bank and religious holidays too), and it paid off: the place still filled up nicely, even if we missed a few familiar faces thanks to brand-new grandchildren, Mother’s Day, and one very exciting wedding to plan (though I’m convinced Le Wast would have been the cheaper venue).

If you’re wondering what spring in northern France feels like, the answer (for us, at least) was: everything. We somehow managed to experience four seasons in three days—cloud, rain, hailstones, thunder and lightning, proper wind, and then the kind of sunshine that makes you forget you ever complained. In between the weather changes, we got out and explored: one group visited the V2 rocket factory, and it was surreal to think that only weeks later we’d be watching the Artemis rocket lift off proof that the echoes of that engineering are still with us.

Food, as always, was a headline act. There was no pre-booking this year—Nadège reassured us that with our numbers we could simply order from the menu of the day—and she was absolutely right. The in-house team delivered one of those meals that turns into a shared memory rather than just dinner. Mornings started the French way: a continental breakfast (because we were, quite literally, on the continent) with fresh bread, cheese and ham, croissants, pains au chocolat… and, if you were brave enough to attempt any “cooking”, a few boiled eggs.

Now we’re keeping an eye on next year’s provincial calendar so we can do it all again—ideally a little later, holidays and meetings permitting. And who knows we might even persuade the new Provincial Prior to join us. Local gossip also insists Bruce Springsteen has been spotted browsing the market in Boulogne, apparently researching a US remake. If that happens, I’m calling it now: “Boulogne in the USA.”

Until next year—thank you to everyone who came along and helped make it such a great trip.

Nik & Sophie